The least populated and most lightly visited portion of Florida, the Panhandle region of Florida contains some of the state’s most beautiful natural areas. The regions rolling, hilly terrain more closely resembles that of areas in Alabama or Georgia than peninsula Florida. The highest point (105 meters, 345 feet) in Florida is located near the town of Lakewood, which is almost on the Alabama border.

Drained by several large rivers, the region has extensive pine and hardwood forests, springs and swamps. Barrier islands, beaches, and tidal marshes fringe most of the Gulf Coast. Panhandle beaches are famous for their white ‘sugar sand’, composed of quartz washed down from the Appalachian Mountains by ancient rivers. East of the town of Apalachicola, the beaches and barrier islands give way to vast salt marshes and the coastline is accessible only by boat. Though it takes about five hours to drive from Orlando to Tallahassee, the region’s parks and beaches are well worth the trip. The western Panhandle is in the central time zone, so times there are an hour ‘earlier’ than in the rest of the state.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park This is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful places in Florida, especially during the fall and winter months, when the temperatures are cooler and migrating hawks, shorebirds, warblers and sea ducks are present. Over 240 bird species have been sighted in the park.Read More >>>

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
The main purpose of the refuge is to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl. Over 270 bird species have been recorded in the salt marshes, tidal Flats, hardwood swamps and hammocks of the refuge.Read More >>>

The central attraction of this park is one of the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs. The spring produces about 1,5 million litres (400,000 gallons) per minute and forms the headwaters of the Wakulla River.